AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL SERVICES, LLC

Symptom: Residential HVAC system not blowing cold air. I phoned the company from number printed on unit and received excellent dispatch assistance. The technician responded extremely quickly to the call. However, the technician "diagnosed" the system problem solely by inserting a screwdriver through the condenser fan cover and turning the motor. He immediately announced that the motor was frozen and would have to be replaced, adding that given the advanced age of the system (15 years) the system probably needed replacement as well. After all of 5 minutes on site he then drew up a bill for the diagnosis for approximately $120- when I asked him to inspect the rest of the system, specifically the coil, he declined, stating that he could not perform any diagnostic tests without the condenser fan functioning. A sales person was dispatched to my home and, to his credit, very professionally assessed replacement of the system. A few days after the technician?s visit, I investigated the unit more thoroughly and quickly (less than 15 minutes) discovered that the fan worked fine but that the low-pressure sensor was either legitimately shut-off (supposedly due to low-Freon) or faulty. In fact, I was able to jerry-rig the unit to function fine (cool) and await (re)diagnosis by a more thorough technician. I contacted service management and received a surprisingly high level of service (hence the mixed rating). The manager offered to send another technician to my home to review the system and when I declined, they quickly agreed to reimburse the inspection fee. My major concern (and why I am posting this review) is that either the service tech was incompetent or there was some incentive to ?sell? me a replacement system. Neither scenario is particularly comforting. Had I not known what I do about electrical systems I could have been convinced to either prematurely replace the system or purchase unnecessary repairs. I am impressed (and somewhat mollified) but the professional and expeditious manner in which my issues were handled and freely admit that my system probably does need replacing. However, given the expense of a replacement, what I saw at step 1 of the process convinced me to look elsewhere for my HVAC services.

I could have spent several thousand dollars less for a "builder" grade system, but opted to get a better product for my own comfort and enjoyment. The installation crew was punctual and professional. They had a little trouble installing into the space provided and were not able to install a humidifier as part of the package.

They were great, they fixed it, and I got a new part. They were efficient and came out the day after I called. They were respectful and really great. I even recommended them to my neighbors.